The Panasonic Lumix GH3 has now been officially announced, updating the aging but appreciated Lumix GH2, and taking the top spot in Panasonic's line of compact system cameras.

Announced on the opening day of Photokina 2012, the Panasonic Lumix GH3 brings a range of enhancements over the model it replaces, as well as introducing a weatherproofed body to the Lumix line to challenge the likes of the Olympus OM-D, something we speculated about when Panasonic released their 'proofed G X lens.

A new 16.05-megapixel Live MOS sensor sits at the heart of the GH3, offering noise reduction and an ISO range from 125-25600 (extended). You'll also get to shoot at 6fps at full resolution, or 20fps if you opt to step down to 4 megapixels.

Panasonic has also added Wi-Fi to the GH3, meaning you'll be able to share your images even faster. You can stream images to your PC or, using the Lumix Link app, you can take control of your camera from your iOS or Android device.

The GH3 will also automatically backup images to the Lumix Club Cloud Sync Service, so when you step back into your home or office the camera will detect the Wi-Fi and copy your images over.

Panasonic has also upgraded the movie shooting options, bringing you 1080 50p AVCHD (28Mbps) or MOV ALL-I (72Mbps) options. As we've seen with previous Lumix GH models, Panasonic has turned to Philip Bloom for a little movie magic, as you can see below.

The Lumix GH3 weighs just 550g (without lens), with Panasonic pushing the portability of this new camera. As you'd expect, there is a 3-inch OLED display around the back, joining the OLED viewfinder.

A new range of accessories will be available to support the Lumix GH3, including a battery grip. The 3.5mm mic jack will let you add an external mic and there's a sync socket for hooking up to studio lighting rigs. There are now 17 lenses available from Panasonic for the Lumix G series cameras.